


How to Survive a Small Town

by etherealskies



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: more characters will be added as the story progresses, this is what happens when I decide a minor character is my favorite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-11-18 17:18:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11295174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etherealskies/pseuds/etherealskies
Summary: The summer after freshman year was when things started to go wrong for Ethel Muggs: her boyfriend dumped her, her parents started fighting all the time, and the entire town of Riverdale was shaken when a boy from her school ended up dead. As a new school year starts, Ethel wants to move on from the past, but that's easier said than done, especially in a place like Riverdale. And how much of herself and the world around her does she really have the power to change? With the help of friends both old and new, Ethel sets out to make her own place in a small town called Riverdale.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When I saw episode 3 of Riverdale I loved Ethel, but she had so little screen time, so this is basically what happens to her while the main characters are solving the murder. I hope you like it!

Ethel was having a crisis.  She stood stock still in front of her vanity, her eyes fixed on her pile of flavored lip glosses.  Last year, she’d worn them to get a boy’s attention, and for a while it seemed like it had worked.  But if she and said boy had broken up, would it be weird to keep wearing them? Would it bring back too many painful memories when she saw him?  Would he think it was weird when he saw her?  Maybe it would be easier to just give it up altogether and-

            Her racing thoughts were interrupted when her door was pushed open and her mother leaned into her room.  “Ethel, are you still not ready? You can’t be late, especially on the first day.”

            Ethel turned away from the vanity and decided to start pulling on a pair of heeled boots instead.  “I just need one more minute; I’ll get there on time.”

            Her mother let out a deep breath, still looking worried.  Then again, she looked worried a lot lately.  “Okay,” she said.  She pulled Ethel into a tight hug.  “Be safe, make good choices.”

            “I will,” Ethel replied, trying not to sound impatient.  She was going to school, there was only so much trouble she could get into. 

            “Luann?”  Her father called from downstairs.  “I thought you were ready?”

            Her mother pulled back and gave Ethel a small smile. “I’ll see you this afternoon.”  And with that, she was gone. 

            Ethel stood frozen in place, listening closely.  Sure enough, she could hear the muffled sounds of her parents arguing until the door closed behind them, just like it had been for most of the summer.  She glanced back at her vanity, suddenly grateful for the distraction that school would give her. 

She strode back across the room, picked out a blue headband to match her dress, and put it on with a tad more force than necessary.  With only another second of hesitation, she reached over and snatched up her cotton candy lip gloss and spread it over her lips.  _He already thinks I’m weird anyway_ , she thought bitterly. 

Spite and the steady click of her heels on the sidewalk kept her going until she was outside Riverdale High and the nerves came back full force.  She stood on the sidewalk, her hands fidgeting nervously.  She pulled in a deep breath, trying get rid of the nervous feeling in her stomach.  _Okay,_ she thought.  _This is fine.  I’m going to be fine._   She lifted her head high and started walking towards the doors. 

“Ethel, hi!” Ethel turned and felt a wave of relief as she spotted her friend Kevin heading toward her.  He bounded over and threw an arm over her shoulders.  “You ready for today?”

Ethel shrugged.  “As ready as I’ll ever be I guess.”

“Come on, don’t focus on the bad!” Kevin said.  “At least today we’ll finally get to meet the mysterious Veronica Lodge!”

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing,” Ethel replied.  “She’s probably, like, really cool, so I don’t think she’d like me.”

“But you’ve got to be kind of curious about her,” Kevin pressed.  “Come on, let’s see if she’s here yet!”  He took her arm and began to lead her over to the groups of students gathered in front of the school. 

As she looked around, Ethel spotted not a mysterious new girl, but a tall, thin boy wearing a grey beanie. “Great,” she muttered.

Kevin followed her gaze and rolled his eyes when he realized she was looking at Jughead.  “You guys can’t avoid each other forever.”

“I don’t know about that, it sure seems like the best option for me,” Ethel retorted.  She could feel her shoulders tensing up.  “I should go put my stuff in my locker anyway.” 

As her heels clicked up the steps, she felt an equal mix of shame and anger.  Maybe Kevin was right, and there would be a day when they would have to speak to each other again, but not today.

 

By English class, Ethel had worked out a system to minimize first day awkwardness: find someone she knew, sit next to them, ask about summer, avoid looking at Jughead at all costs.  It seemed like she’d been a little too eager for this class, though; there weren’t very many people in the room yet.  She hovered awkwardly in the doorway for a moment before forcing herself to make a decision and head for an empty section of desks. 

She sat there for several long minutes before she spotted a girl with a blonde ponytail coming through the door.  Ethel gave her a little wave and once again felt relief when Betty gave her a bright smile and made her way towards her, trailed by a petite, dark-haired, very pretty girl. 

“Hey, Betty!” Ethel greeted her.  “How did your internship go?”

“Amazing, I can’t wait to tell you everything!” Betty gushed.  She turned to the girl behind her.  “Veronica Lodge, Ethel Muggs.”

Veronica’s perfectly painted pink lips curved up into a smile.  “Ethel Muggs,” she repeated slowly, as if feeling out the shape of her name.  “I like that name.”

Ethel blinked. “You do? It’s kind of old fashioned…”

“That’s why I like it,” Veronica replied, her smile never faltering.

“Okay everyone, find a seat so we can get started!” Ms. Hagley called from the front of the room. 

            “Cute shoes, by the way,” Veronica added as she slid into the desk behind Betty. 

            As she turned to face the board, Ethel couldn’t help smiling as she thought that maybe there was actually a chance that Veronica Lodge could like her. 

 

            “What did you think of her?” Kevin asked.  His eyes were wide with curiosity as he watched Ethel swirl the straw in her milkshake. 

            “She seems really nice, actually,” Ethel said.  “She said she liked my _name_.  I’ve never met anyone who said that.”

            “Did she say anything about her dad to you? I asked, but all she said is that she’s going to stand by him.”

            _“Kevin!”_

            “I just wanted to know!”

            Ethel raised her eyebrows at him. “Well, _I_ didn’t ask.  I would think that finding out your dad’s a con man isn’t something you’d want to talk about.”

            “Well, she seems like she’s taking it okay,” Kevin said, though to his credit he looked a little embarrassed. “Or she’s just good at putting up a front.  Kind of like Cheryl with her brother.”

            “Ugh, don’t,” Ethel grimaced.  Even with the excitement of Veronica showing up, the subject of Jason Blossom’s drowning seemed to hang over the school like a fog.  It made her feel like she was walking around a haunted house.  She reached over and picked a fry off the plate they were sharing.  “This year’s going to be wild.”

            The bell above the door to Pop’s jingled, and Kevin craned his neck to see who had come in. “In that vein, what are the chances that you’re going to keep hanging out with Reggie Mantle after this summer?”

            Ethel peered around the booth, and sure enough, there was Reggie, along with Chuck and Moose, all of them wearing their letterman jackets despite the remnants of summer heat in the air.  She quickly turned back around and slid down in her seat, praying they hadn’t seen her. “All we did was run together, that’s it,” she told Kevin quietly.  “I never had any delusions that he’d want to hang out with me at school.”  That much was true, but it had still stung a little when he hadn’t spared her more than a brief glance in the halls. 

            “Well, he’s an idiot then,” Kevin said decisively, already focused on the door again.  “Hey, guys!”

            Ethel chanced another look back to see Betty and Veronica walking toward them, both in cheerleading uniforms.  “Oh my gosh, you guys made the cheerleading squad!” she exclaimed.

            “Thanks to Veronica,” Betty said, sliding into the seat next to Kevin.  “I wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for her.”

            “You should have tried out, too, Ethel!” Veronica spoke up.

            “No way.” Ethel shook her head vehemently.  “Cheryl was awful to Betty when she tried out last year; she’d eat me alive.  I’ll stick to track.”

            “Well,” Veronica continued, giving Betty a sly smile.  “Betty here has even more good news to share.  Go on, Betty, tell them.”

            Betty’s cheeks flushed pink as a shy smile spread across her face.  “I, um…asked Archie to the dance.”

            “You did not!” Ethel gasped.

            “And he said yes?” Kevin asked.  Betty nodded, her ponytail bouncing with the movement.  “I told you!” he cheered.

            “Well, technically, he’s taking me _and_ Veronica,” Betty said.  “But…”

            “But it’s a start,” Veronica finished.  “And then Betty will tell him how she feels, and Riverdale’s new power couple will be in place.” She turned her attention to Ethel, her dark eyes sparkling.  “What about you, do you have a boyfriend you’re going to the dance with?”

            “Um, no.” Ethel had to resist the urge to slump down in her seat again.  “My boyfriend kinda…dumped me. At the start of the summer.”

            Veronica frowned.  “Who is he? Have I met him?”

            “Jughead,” Betty supplied. “Dark hair, dark clothes, grey hat.”

            “Beanie boy?” Veronica tossed her head dismissively, flipping her hair behind her shoulders. “You can do better than that, Ethel.”

“Why don’t you just come to this dance with me?” Kevin suggested.  “I don’t exactly have anyone I can ask.”

“Great! So you’ll go,” Veronica said.  It was a statement, not a question, like a queen who was used to being obeyed.

“Well, I don’t think I can get a dress,” Ethel admitted.  “My parents keep mentioning that money’s kind of tight right now.”  _AKA fighting about it all the time._

“I know how that is,” Veronica said.  “But there are ways around that.”

“I was going go to look for a dress, soon,” Betty said.  She glanced between the three of them, looking a bit uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken.  “If you guys wanted to come-”

“You two go ahead, I’ll meet you later,” Veronica said.  She pulled out her phone and started opening apps on it.  “As for you, Ethel Muggs, we’re going to find you the perfect dress for a fresh start.”

“Make sure to tell me what color it is!” Kevin called as he and Betty headed out the door.

“Here.” Veronica scooted closer to Ethel, holding up her phone screen for them to look at.  “I recently figured out that the internet has some surprisingly inexpensive things, perfect for when your family’s suddenly on a tight budget.”

As they sat huddled in the booth scrolling through dresses, Ethel realized that she’d never really had friends besides Betty and Kevin that she could just hang out with alone.  Even then, it seemed like they were better friends with Archie or Jughead or even each other.  Maybe this friendship with Veronica would turn out the same way once she realized that there were cooler people she could hang out with, but for now, it almost felt like she had another best friend.

“Oh!” Ethel gasped.  “Go back, I think I found one! There, this one!”  She pointed to the dress that looked like it was made for her: burgundy with a full, knee-length skirt.  She looked closer and felt her heart sink. “Oh, it’s strapless, my mom won’t let me wear that.”

“So?” Veronica said.  “Just wear something over it when you leave the house.” She put her phone down and turned to Ethel with a warm smile.  “Looks like you’re going to the ball after all, Cinderella.”

Ethel giggled.  “I guess so.  Thanks, fairy godmother.” 

As the two girls stood up, Ethel glanced down the row of booths and noticed a familiar grey hat.  She felt the swirl of anger, sadness, and embarrassment inside her again. She almost said something to Veronica just to get some of it out, but then stopped herself.  Veronica had said she was getting a fresh start, and Ethel decided then and there that no one was going to stand in her way, least of all Jughead Jones.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheryl's here! It was so fun writing her, and I can tell that she's going to be a great character to write about! I hope you like this next chapter!

“This is morbid,” Kevin said.

The school gym had been decorated for the back to school dance, which should have been perfectly fine.  The problem was that the decorations mainly consisted of large banners with Jason Blossom’s picture. 

“It’s not…that bad,” Ethel said uncertainly.  “Cheryl did say that we were going to use the dance to remember Jason…”

“Ethel, it’s _weird_ ,” Kevin said.  “This wasn’t what anybody wanted when they came to this dance.”

“Okay, true.” 

Kevin tossed his empty punch cup into the trash.  “I’m going to the bathroom, at least while I’m in there I won’t have to look at all this. I’ll meet you back out here.”

As Kevin headed towards the bathrooms, Ethel crossed the dance floor to the tables pushed up against one of the walls. As she placed her own cup on the table with her purse and sweater, she caught a glimpse of bright red hair.  Looking over to where the teachers were sitting, she spotted Archie talking to Ms. Grundy, the music teacher.  She turned back to the dance floor and scanned the crowd.  If Archie was here, where was Betty?

After making a wide circle around the dance floor, she finally found Betty standing with Kevin.  “There you guys are!  I thought that – whoa.”  Kevin’s face was flushed and he was wearing an expression that was half excitement and half panic.  “What’s going on here?”

“Oh! Uh…” Kevin bit his lip in an attempt to hide a sheepish smile.  “So I ran into Moose just now, and long story short, we’re going down to Sweetwater River after the dance.”

“Moose?” Ethel repeated.  “I thought he was still with Midge?’

“Well, technically he is, but maybe this means he’s going to break up with her or something.”  Kevin’s eyes were sparkling with hope. “Would you mind getting a ride home with someone else?  I mean, stuff like this never happens to me so…”

Ethel took a deep breath and did her best to push down her irritation.  Kevin was right; as of now he was the only out gay guy at school.  What kind of friend would she be if she took this away from him?  “Okay.  Okay, fine.  I’ll figure something out.”

“I’d offer, but Archie’s truck only had room for the three of us,” Betty said with an apologetic grimace.  “Sorry.”

“I’ll just tell him to get one of his friends to drive you!” Kevin said eagerly.  “Like Chuck, or-”

_“No,”_ Ethel cut him off sharply.  “Do you remember all the crap he said about me last year?  I’m not going anywhere with him.”

“Reggie, then,” Kevin suggested, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Reggie I’m fine with,” Ethel said. 

“Great!  I’ll go tell him right now!”  With that, Kevin darted off into the crowd. 

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him this excited,” Betty remarked.

“Speaking of romance,” Ethel leaned in conspiratorially.  “How’s it going with Archie?

“Good, I think?”  Betty gave a quick glance in Archie’s direction.  “I haven’t told him anything yet, but there’s still time, right?”

“Totally!”  Ethel bounced on her toes as excitement bubbled up in her.  “You got this!”

“I hope you guys are right,” Betty said.  She looked up over Ethel’s shoulder.  “And I hope Kevin actually found you a ride.”

As she spoke, Kevin reappeared next to them, his excitement still undiminished.  “Okay,” he said to Ethel.  “You’re good to go with Reggie, the only thing is, he’s going to Cheryl’s party after the dance.  So as long as you don’t mind going to that…?” 

Dread filled Ethel’s stomach at the thought of going to Cheryl Blossom’s house.  She already knew it would feel like entering a pit of vipers.  But Kevin was giving her a wide, hopeful smile. And really, who could ever be so heartless as to deny Kevin Keller something that made him happy?  “Fine,” she said reluctantly.  “I’ll go.”  She poked him in the arm.  “This better lead to something good.”

“Ethel, you are the best!” Kevin said joyfully.

“And don’t you forget it,” she retorted, feeling a smile emerge in spite of herself.  “I better call my parents and tell them where I’m going.  Or some version of it anyway.” 

As she hurried off to retrieve her phone, she tried her best to hold on to the lighthearted feeling, but even the thought of Cheryl was enough to make her want to shrink into herself.  _Do it for Kevin,_ she thought.  _This is what friends do._   All she had to do was put on a brave face and survive a little while in Cheryl Blossom’s domain. 

 

The end of the dance found Ethel in the parking lot scanning the rows of cars with her arms crossed tightly around herself.  She was trying not to think about what the actual party would be like, because she knew that if she did she would completely freak out.  She just had to take this one step at a time.

            When she spotted Reggie, he was leaning up against his car talking to Ginger and Tina, the two girls who were Cheryl’s second in command.  Ethel tried to walk over slowly to give them ample time to leave, but it seemed like they had made up their minds to stay where they were.  Just as Ethel was feeling her shoulders start to tense up at the prospect of having to interact with them, she was saved by Cheryl shouting that they needed to hurry up or they wouldn’t have time to set up the party. 

            As Ginger and Tina walked off, Reggie looked past them and met Ethel’s eyes.  Great, so he’d been aware of her this whole time.  Embarrassing.  “Hey,” he said when she reached him.  That was it. No _Nice to see you again_ , or _I’m glad you’re coming._

            “Hi,” she said.  “I haven’t really gotten to talk you since school started.”

            Reggie just shrugged.  “Yeah, well.” He pulled the car door open and stepped back to let her in.  “You ready?”

            “Oh.  Um, yeah.”  Was it normal to feel slightly startled when a boy did that? 

            Reggie finally gave her a familiar smirk.  “Come on, you think I don’t know how to act with a girl?  Maybe the other losers here don’t, but I’m more mature than that.”

            Ethel rolled her eyes but grinned back at him.  “If you say so, Reggie.”

            In the car, Reggie seemed much more relaxed, but Ethel still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was somewhere that she didn’t quite fit.  She was pulled out of her head when Reggie turned to her with a wide grin.  “Wanna put the roof down?”

            Ethel’s eyes widened.  “Seriously?  I’ve never done that before!”

            “Well, you’re going to find out what it’s like right now.”   

There was a quiet _whoosh_ , and Ethel looked up to see the roof of the car sliding back to reveal a clear, starry sky.  It felt magical, like something out of a movie.  How could she worry about Cheryl’s party when she had the whole night sky stretched out over her?  She only looked back down when they reached the school’s driveway and was met with the sight of Reggie glancing at her and looking very pleased with himself.  “Okay, it’s pretty cool,” she said.

“Well, if you like it so much, we can take the long way,” Reggie said as he turned out into the street. 

“And be late?” Ethel asked.

“ _Fashionably_ late,” he corrected her.  He turned away from the group of cars headed towards Cheryl’s house and onto a quiet street.  There, he revved the engine and sped up so that the fresh night air was rushing past Ethel’s face and whipping her hair around.  A short, surprised laugh escaped her before the wind stole her breath.  It was reckless and probably dangerous and it felt _good_. 

The feeling of exhilaration lasted until they reached the doors of Cheryl’s family mansion.  Even the dark, imposing exterior of the estate known as Thornhill seemed somewhat romantic before the adrenaline rush wore off.  It didn’t take long for it to revert back to the spooky old mansion that no one went near, however; all it took was Cheryl Blossom opening the door. 

Cheryl was intimidating enough on normal days, and the excuse to dress up made her all the more imposing.  She stood in the doorway clad in a scarlet dress that showed off her figure perfectly.  Her plump lips curled into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.  “Well hello,” she said.  Her gaze flickered briefly over Ethel’s dress.  “I didn’t expect you two to arrive together.”

“Ethel just needed a ride so-”

Cheryl cut Reggie off with a dismissive flick of her hand.  “Don’t bore me with details, Reggie, I’ve got a party to get back to.”  With a flip of her long red hair, she turned and started walking back into the house.  “Game room’s this way.”

As Reggie followed Cheryl, Ethel trailed behind him.  The carefree atmosphere between them was gone.  She could feel it now just like she’d felt it when they hadn’t spoken to each other after school started. 

Cheryl led them down a hallway and into a large room that looked it was meant for English aristocracy, complete with a pool table.  “Drinks are in the cooler,” she said airily, striding off to rejoin the rest of her guests.

            While Reggie wandered back to Tina and Ginger, Ethel stayed put, taking stock of the room.  It was filled with Cheryl’s friends from cheerleading or the football team.  Everyone had already separated into their own small groups, and a good number of people were holding beer bottles.  _Oh, I really should not be here_ , Ethel thought. 

Reluctantly moving farther into the room, she saw Betty and Veronica sitting together on one of the couches and wasted no time heading straight for them.  “Hey, girl!” Veronica said cheerfully.  “You look really nice!”

“Thanks,” Ethel said, trying not to sound disappointed.  She never looked more than “nice.”  “Cute” if she was lucky.  Turning to Betty, she realized that she looked subdued, not at all like a girl who’d just gotten her happy ending.  Before Ethel could ask what had happened, Cheryl’s voice rang through the room.

“It’s game time at Chez Blossom!”  She strutted like a supermodel to the center of the room.  “We’re going old school tonight: Seven Minutes in Heaven!”

Ethel’s stomach dropped.  The party on its own had been shaping up to be bad enough, but something like this was Very Bad.  She slipped away from the couch and decided to position herself against one of the walls.  _Nobody look at me, nobody look at me, I’m fine over here._

“Who wants a tryst in the closet of love first?” Cheryl continued.  “My vote is A for Archie.”

“Actually, I-” Archie started.

“ _Yes_ , Andrews!” Reggie cut him off enthusiastically.

“Alright, gather round, kiddies.” Cheryl said, and a few stragglers obediently crowded into the circle.  Ethel did not want to move, but Cheryl made eye contact with her and she instantly knew that things would be ten times worse for her if she didn’t play the game now.  As she made her way on stiff legs to a spot next to the couch, Cheryl placed an empty bottle on the coffee table.  “Let’s see who’s riding the ginger stallion tonight.”  With a flick of her wrist, the bottle was in motion. 

Ethel frantically tried to reason with herself.  Worst case scenario, she would just stand awkwardly in a closet with Archie, who was perfectly nice and wouldn’t do anything to make her uncomfortable.  Otherwise, she’d have seven whole minutes to figure a way out of the game. 

In a few seconds, the bottle slowed and finally came to a stop directly in front of Veronica.  “No way!” Reggie exclaimed.

Cheryl looked absolutely delighted.  “This should be fun.”

Veronica gave a half-second glance at Betty and shook her head.  “I’m not doing this.”

Cheryl just rolled her eyes.  “That’s your choice.  But house rules decree that the hostess takes your turn.”

Veronica hesitated a moment longer, and then stood up and slowly walked to the closet.

Cheryl turned her smile on Archie.  “In you go!”  Archie gave her an irritated look but followed Veronica into the closet, closing the door behind them.  Cheryl beamed at the remaining guests.  “Do you think he’ll actually have the guts to kiss her?’

“He better!” Reggie said.  “Who wouldn’t want to kiss her?”

“Very true, Reggie.”  Cheryl strolled behind the couch where Betty was sitting.  Betty stared straight ahead, her lips pressed together tightly.  “He’s probably been dying to kiss her.  And he is pretty cute himself.  I may have just set up the first couple of the year!”

Betty jumped up from the couch.  “I should go.”

Cheryl pressed her lips together in a mock pout.  “But, Betty, don’t you want to see the results of the game?”

“No, I- I really need to go.” 

“Betty-” Ethel started, but Betty just brushed past her and out into the hallway. 

Cheryl watched her go, still smiling.  “She’s very touchy, isn’t she?”

Ethel clenched her jaw.  _No, you’re just a demon_.  Saying so wouldn’t do any good, though, so she turned on her heel and followed Betty. 

She found her out in the foyer, shoving her phone into her pocketbook.  “Betty, what are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, Ethel, but I can’t stay in there one more minute.”  Betty’s eyes were red and filled with tears. 

“It’s Cheryl, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about!”  Ethel protested. 

“Well, he doesn’t like me, so why wouldn’t he kiss another girl?” Betty retorted as she began walking to the front doors. 

Ethel hurried after her.  “Betty, you can’t just walk home on your own!”  She caught the door as Betty pushed it open and followed her out into the cool night air.

“I called my mom.”  Betty said.  “She’ll be mad, but it’s better than staying here.  You should go back inside, I don’t want to keep you out here.”

“Are you sure?”  Ethel asked.  “You don’t need anyone to stay with you?”

Betty shook her head.  “Thanks, but I just need to be alone right now.”

“Okay,” Ethel said. She placed a hand on the doorknob reluctantly.  “Just…let me know if you need anything.”

 The door swung shut slowly behind her as she reentered the house.  She stood alone in the middle of foyer, wishing she could just stay out there for the rest of the party.  She gave herself what she guessed was another minute before making her way back down the hall.

When she got closer to the doorway, she stopped and tried to hear what was going on.  Had it been seven minutes?  Could they have decided to move on to a new game? As she listened, she picked up Ginger’s voice coming from inside the room.

“-is she doing here anyway?  Who’d want her around for a party?”

“You have to admit, she makes the game more interesting.”  That was Cheryl, still sounding proud of the mess she was causing.

“That’s for sure!” Frankie Valdez chimed in.  “Imagine getting locked in a closet with _her!_ ”  There were a few snickers from around the room.  “Come to think of it, she’s probably done something like that to Jughead before.”

Ethel felt an unpleasant wave of heat wash through her body.  She’d been hoping they weren’t talking about her, but really, who else could it have been?  Her throat tightened.  Were people really still thinking about her that way?  Just a clingy girlfriend?  Of course they were, she answered herself.  And if that was how they saw her, she had only herself to blame.  Hot tears welled in her eyes, and she leaned her head against the wall as she willed them not to fall.  Somewhere in the house, a ringtone went off. 

Ethel desperately wanted to follow Betty’s lead and get her mom to pick her up, but everyone would make fun of her even more if she left in the middle of the party.  If she could just tough it out until it was time to leave, maybe Cheryl would think that she couldn’t get to her, even if that was definitely not true. She wiped carefully under her eyes with her fingers and took a few deep breaths.  Deciding that this was as good as it was going to get, she wrapped her arms around herself and slipped through the doorway.

“Ethel!” Cheryl said, giving her a wide smile.  “I was starting to worry that we’d lost you, too.”  Before she could say anything else, everyone’s attention was pulled back to the closet as Veronica and Archie stepped out. 

Veronica scanned the room, a worried look appearing on her face.  “Where’s Betty?” she asked.

“She spiraled and fled,” Cheryl replied nonchalantly.  “Between us, she’s a lot more high-strung than she looks.”

“You shady bitch!” Veronica hissed. She turned and stalked out of the room.  Archie followed her, but not before throwing Cheryl a contemptuous look. 

Cheryl turned back to the rest of them, entirely unperturbed by Veronica’s insult.  “Well, it looks like we lost those three, but I don’t see why the rest of us can’t keep playing.  Ethel, come back and join us!”

Ethel wanted to scream.  Cheryl’s desire for ruining people’s lives was apparently unlimited.  She walked back over to the group and took Betty’s vacated spot on the couch.  The wide skirt of her dress spread out as she sat down, making her a lot more conspicuous than she wanted to be.  She fixed her gaze on the rug in front of her.  There was no way she was making eye contact with anyone in this room. 

“So,” Cheryl said.  “Who’s up next?”

“Ethel!” Tina called out.  When Ethel looked up at her, she was staring at her with a wide grin. 

“Well, I think Ginger should go!”  Reggie said.  His eyes darted over to Ethel for half a second before he looked away again. 

“Ginger, then Ethel,” Cheryl decided.  As she reached over to spin the bottle again, Mrs.  Blossom entered the room, her face pale. 

“Cheryl, everyone needs to leave now.”  There was a tightness in her voice, something very carefully controlled.

Cheryl gave her a frown.  “Mother, really-”

“ _Now_ , Cheryl.”  Mrs. Blossom’s control was slipping rapidly. 

Cheryl gave an exaggerated sigh.  “Alright, shoo.”  She fluttered her hands at everyone in the circle and started ushering them towards the door. 

As soon as she was outside of Cheryl’s house, Ethel could feel the anxiety starting to ebb away.  When she reached Reggie’s car, she realized it was being replaced with anger.  She stared straight ahead once she sat down and didn’t speak until they had passed the gates of the Blossom estate and were out on the road.

 “I heard,” she said.  Reggie didn’t say anything, but she saw his hands tense around the steering wheel.  “Why didn’t you do anything?”

There was another long silence.  “I don’t know,” he said finally. 

They didn’t speak again for the rest of the drive through the streets they had run through together over the summer.  When they parked in front of Ethel’s house, she pulled her sweater back on as quickly as she could.  She wanted to say something mean and biting, to be as vicious as Cheryl.  “Thanks for the ride,” she said instead. 

“Sure,” Reggie said.  He gave her a sideways glance.  “See you around.”

Ethel nodded briefly.  She didn’t look back all the way up the sidewalk to the door.  Shutting it behind her, she was safe from humiliation for at least the rest of the night. 

“Ethel?”  Her mother came hurrying out of the living room with her dad following behind. “Oh, good, I was just about to text you to come home.”  She looked almost as upset as Ethel felt, but there was no way she could have known what had happened at the party. 

“What’s going on?” Ethel asked, her mind already jumping to the worst possible answer.  Maybe all the fighting had finally gotten to be too much and this was when they’d tell her they were getting a divorce.  Just as she was feeling the beginnings of panic, her father spoke up.

“They found Jason Blossom’s body.”

Ethel’s first feeling was relief, then a sick, sinking feeling as the words hit her.  “How? I thought it was over – I mean, the search.”

“A couple of kids were down by the river tonight and they spotted the body washed up somewhere,” he explained.

_Kevin._   The sick feeling intensified as she remembered how excited he’d been to sneak down to the river with Moose.  She almost jumped when her mother put an arm around her. 

“Try not to worry about it right now,” she said.  “There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Ethel just nodded.  “I think…I think I should go to bed.” 

She felt numb as she climbed the stairs and closed the door to her bedroom behind her.  When she looked in the mirror, she was surprised to see slightly smudged makeup.  The dance and the party felt far away, even if the emotions from the night still simmered below the surface. Logically, she knew that she would have to deal with them separately, but right now, all of her feelings seemed twisted together. It felt like everything in the world had started collapsing, and there was nothing she, or anyone else, could hold on to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who read this chapter, I hope you liked it! I tried to improve some stuff from the last chapter, so comments and constructive criticism are always welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so short RIP but I'm pretty sure that the next couple of chapters will be longer.

By Monday morning, the whole town had heard about how Kevin and Moose had found Jason’s body washed up on the shore of Sweetwater River, a bullet in his head.  The only thing anyone could talk about was who could have shot him, and whether the murderer was still somewhere in town.  Riverdale High no longer felt like a haunted house, it felt like a crime scene. 

The discovery overshadowed everything else, including the rest of the events from the night of the dance.  Ethel felt like the party had happened years ago.  Her anger with Reggie, her humiliation, and her regret over how she’d behaved with Jughead all seemed to lose their significance in light of the revelation that Jason had been killed.

That lasted until she went back to school, and then all of her own problems seemed to be thrown back at her at once.  Walking to her first class, she was startled by a sharp voice coming from down the hallway.

“Will you knock it off?!”

Turning her head, Ethel saw Jughead being cornered by a group of football players.  She instantly spotted Reggie among them, towering over everyone else. 

“Aw, come on, we’re just messin’ with you!” he said.  “You can take it, can’t you?”  Ethel flinched as he gave Jughead a shove, nearly knocking him into the wall. 

_No way,_ she thought.She was not letting him hurt someone else today.  _“Hey!”_   All of the boys turned at the sound of her voice, and she fought the urge to bolt when they stared at her.  “Leave him alone.”

Reggie swaggered to the front of the group, his grin no longer friendly.  “Sticking up for your boyfriend, Ethel?  Cute.”  Taking advantage of the distraction, Jughead slipped away from the football players and slunk over to where Ethel was.  Reggie glanced between them, looking amused in a cruel sort of way.  “Are you guys even still together?”

“That’s actually none of your business,” Ethel shot back.

“Come on, Ethel, it was all you could talk about last year.” Reggie shot a grin back at the rest of his friends, who snickered and nodded in agreement. 

“You don’t scare me, Reggie,” Ethel snapped.  “So why don’t you go jerk off to your own selfies or whatever you usually do and leave the rest of us alone?” She didn’t wait to see his reaction before she turned and marched toward the row of classrooms. 

Jughead trailed behind but easily caught up to her.  “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Sure I did,” she said briskly, keeping her eyes forward. 

“Well, thanks.”  Jughead came to a stop in front of the science classroom and shoved his hands in his pockets. He jerked his head toward the door.  “I guess I better…”

“I didn’t see you all summer.”  Ethel wanted to smack herself as soon as the words were out of her mouth.  Being clingy was what had gotten her to this point in the first place.   

Jughead raised his eyebrows at her.  “That was probably for the best, Ethel.”

“I know, but…”  Ethel tightened her grip on her books and shifted her weight uncomfortably.  Being near him again was making her reconsider avoiding him forever.  It had been so much better when they could just _talk_ to each other.  “I just missed hanging out with you, I guess.” 

Jughead gave her a long look.  “I kind of missed it, too,” he said finally.

“You did?”  Ethel felt some of the tension fall off her shoulders.  “Do you want to try hanging out again?  Not like dating, like friends?”  _Ethel, oh my God, you’re making it weird._

Jughead looked skeptical.  “You know we would never get back together, right?”

“I know that, I’m not stupid!”  Jughead looked startled at the outburst.  Ethel took a deep breath to calm herself down.  “So maybe it would be better if we were just friends, and nothing else.”

“You really want that?” Jughead asked. 

“Of course I do.”  Ethel said.  “Friends are important, too, right?” she finished a little desperately.

Jughead’s guarded expression shifted and a grin spread across his face.  “Yeah.  Better, sometimes.”  His relieved expression mirrored what Ethel felt.  “I’ll find you later, alright?”

            Ethel nodded enthusiastically as he gave her a small, awkward wave and disappeared into the classroom.  As she hurried to her own class, she could feel a new bounce in her step.  She had always been the one who found _him_.  Maybe it wasn’t big of a change as she was making it out to be, but it felt like she had finally done something right. 

 

            To Ethel’s surprise, Jughead remembered what he’d said and found her outside during lunch.  She followed him to an empty patch of grass and tucked her skirt under her as she sat down.  “You don’t want to sit with Archie?” she asked, hoping he’d appreciate her giving him an out. 

            He just shrugged.  “Archie’s been kind of weird lately.”

            “Because of Veronica?” Ethel asked. 

            Jughead frowned at her.  “Veronica?  The new girl?  She hasn’t even been here that long.  No, he’s just been really…distant since this summer.  Like he doesn’t even want to be friends anymore.”  He twisted his fingers into the grass and tugged at it.  “The night after the dance, he told me about how he’d upset Betty, and he said that he was worried about losing her because she was his best friend.  What does that make me?”

            “Maybe you should ask him,” Ethel said.  She plucked a few blades of grass from her own spot.  “And I know it’s not as good, but I mean, you still have me.”

            “ _No_.”  Ethel was surprised by the firmness in Jughead’s tone.  “That is a good thing, don’t say it’s not.  Especially if you’re going to be around to protect me from Reggie.”  He smiled at her again and nudged her with his shoulder.

            Ethel still had so much to ask him.  _Why did you leave_? _Did you ever like me at all?  Is everything people are saying about me true?_ That couldn’t happen now, though.  The time for bringing those things up was past.  They were finally friends again.  That would have to be enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read this chapter even though it was short! I hope you liked it, and constructive criticism is always welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> To everyone who made it to the end of this chapter, thank you so much for reading! Constructive criticism is always welcome!


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